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Topic: configure linksys router toa switch (Read 8437 times)

I have a dedicated core with a media director on the lan trying to run Linux MCE 7.10. Could somebody please help me with information on how to configure a linksys BEFSr41 router into a switch. Such as the static IP address, gateway, etc.

I have a Linksys WRT54G configured as a switch. The devices are different but I think the settings are very similar. The instructions should be followed in order and as follows:

1. Connect directly to the router and log on (default IP is 192.168.1.1, leave the username blank and type 'admin' in the password field)

2. Go to the Security page and disable the firewall (disable all items in the 'block WAN requests' section) - hit the save settings button

3. Go to 'Setup' page and change the local IP adress to something within the Core's Range. The Default range for a LMCE Core is 192.168.80.2 to 192.168.90.128 for Pluto Devices and 192.168.80.129 to 192.168.80.254 for non-pluto devices. set the router's local IP to be in the non-Pluto range - mine is 192.168.80.130. - Again Save Settings

4. you will now have to re-logon to the new IP address (192.168.80.130 for me).

Techstyle--thanks for your reply - this looks like what I'm looking for.

I was also thinking about trying to use my BEFSR41 in the following way - from cable modem to BEFSR41 WAN port ----from uplink on BEFSR41 to onboard lan on linux MCE core machine------from PCI NIC card on linux MCE core machine to MD.

I was thinking that by using the uplink option I could still let the router assign DHCP for my external networked computers and also get external connectivity to the linux core....this way if I want to dual boot the core or shut down the core, I wouldn't loose my connectivity on the external networked computers.

This currently works as in I have internet connectivity to my networked PC's via the router (no changes to the router yet) and I have internet connectivity to the core--------what doesn't work is I can't get the MD to LAN boot....it's like the PCI NIC card in the core is not being recognized.

However, since then I have reconfigured my Network (see the US network setup Section of my user page) and as Thom says it really does work more smoothly. I used to have problems with not being able to access media on my windows PC's on the network - windows does a terrible job of managing shares. Also whenever I reset the core it would acquire a IP address from the router that was not neccesarily the same as before therefore the webadmin page address would change from the external network and non of my favorites would work. same goes for running the web version of orbiter.

On your second point

How did you conclude it was your Core NIC not being recognized?

There are a number of possibilities - your second NIC is not compatible or is it the NIC in the media director or Media Director not having a PXE boot rom.

My knowledge of what it would say if the second NIC is not compatible is limited but I would think the table on the Network page (shown below) would be missing numbers in the eth1 section

tschak909- your advice is appreciated and will be taken. I'm new to the Linux MCE and Linux in general. Some of my home network insists on windows and I'm trying to keep a box with Ubuntu so I can continue to learn. The Linux MCE core is going to trump the Ubuntu box if I can't dual boot the core.

Techstyle - thank you for the reply and further advice!

I only surmised that my PCI NIC card wasn't being recognized because when plugging into the onboard adapter, I got connectivity....then I switch the modem cable to the PCI NIC card and the card wast active and I got connectivity. But, again, no MD boot when switching the cables back the way they're supposed to be.

Question for you, how can I tell which network port on the core is the WAN port and which one is the LAN port?

I went and bought a switch and a new wired network card (Linksys EG1032). I'll first try converting my router to a switch per your instructions and then if I need to, I'll have the switch and a new different brand of network card to try also.

I have a Linksys WRT54G configured as a switch. The devices are different but I think the settings are very similar. The instructions should be followed in order and as follows:

1. Connect directly to the router and log on (default IP is 192.168.1.1, leave the username blank and type 'admin' in the password field)

2. Go to the Security page and disable the firewall (disable all items in the 'block WAN requests' section) - hit the save settings button

3. Go to 'Setup' page and change the local IP adress to something within the Core's Range. The Default range for a LinuxMCE Core is 192.168.80.2 to 192.168.90.128 for Pluto Devices and 192.168.80.129 to 192.168.80.254 for non-pluto devices. set the router's local IP to be in the non-Pluto range - mine is 192.168.80.130. - Again Save Settings

4. you will now have to re-logon to the new IP address (192.168.80.130 for me).

I have my linuxMCE core up and running with the other computers in my home network all working!

Except for the media director.

I went from the router to a switch and my other problem was that I was trying to use a PCI NIC card to go from the core to the switch and it would never communicate from the PCI NIC card to the switch. My MB in the core has two onboard LAN ports so I tried using the second on board LAN port to feed the switch and everything worked!!!

Now, back to my MD

It's diskless and has a PCI NIC card in it. The mother board is an Iwill KK266. It is capable on LAN booting and I have the boot sequence set to LAN boot. Here again, I don't believe my PCI NIC card is able to communicate to the switch.

Is there an option in the bios to enable a PXE boot rom? I may be wrong but I think it is unusual for a Mobo without an onboard NIC to have a PXE boot ROM. The motherboard may allow you to select boot from LAN but without a PXE boot rom it will not do this, the PCI Nic may have one but it is unlikely. There are a couple of ways around this:

I have a Linksys WRT54G configured as a switch. The devices are different but I think the settings are very similar. The instructions should be followed in order and as follows:

1. Connect directly to the router and log on (default IP is 192.168.1.1, leave the username blank and type 'admin' in the password field)

2. Go to the Security page and disable the firewall (disable all items in the 'block WAN requests' section) - hit the save settings button

3. Go to 'Setup' page and change the local IP adress to something within the Core's Range. The Default range for a LinuxMCE Core is 192.168.80.2 to 192.168.90.128 for Pluto Devices and 192.168.80.129 to 192.168.80.254 for non-pluto devices. set the router's local IP to be in the non-Pluto range - mine is 192.168.80.130. - Again Save Settings

4. you will now have to re-logon to the new IP address (192.168.80.130 for me).

To configure the WRT54G device I connected the WRT54G to the external LAN and used PC1 to followed the instructions above (which are laso in: http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Linksys_WRT54G)I can complete all the steps and connect to the new IP address (192.168.80.130 for me).However, after reconnecting the WRT54G router to the Eth1 port on the core and power cycling it, I can not access it anymore.

I assume I should I still be able to access the WRT54G device using 192.168.80.130

I tried accessing the WRT54G device from the Core:1. I can not load it through firefox. 2. I also cannot ping it

How can I control the WRT54G device after it is connected to the internal LAN?

there are various PC's, MD, Printers, and Orbiters connected along the way but the laptop can ping the WRT54G as can the core. I can log on to the device from the laptop. Didn't try from the core (wife watching movie).

I have a couple of questions for you:

1. Can anything connected to the WRT54G access the internet or Web admin?2. Can the core access the internet?3. If you connect a PC on the internal network to Eth1 directly, can you access the internet now?